College degrees
I thought this article was very enlightening. The choice to include statistics really highlights the importance of degrees. In the second paragraph, they state that, “For many Americans today, a trip through college is considered as much of a birthright as a driver's license.”I completely agree with this because most graduating seniors have hopes of going to a college to get a degree. In a previous class I had, my classmates discussed whether or not students should go to college right after high school or wait some time to earn the money to go. Both sides had thier pro’s and con’s for me and I’m still not sure which one is the better choice. In the section referring to getting jobs with a degree, they stated that sometimes a bachelor’s degree isn’t enough. In some cases, jobs need people with plenty of experience. Sometimes these experiences don’t happen unless someone has the opportunity to receive more experience, such as attaining their masters. They even mentioned that the percentage of students going for a bachelor’s degree has decreased since 1972. This personally doesn’t surprise me because not a lot of kids enjoy going to high school, let alone spend more time at any kind of institution for more schooling.


Skipping College
Sadly, I agree that some, if not most jobs do not require a degree, even if it isn’t necessary. I knew a woman who had her associates’ degree from a community college and got a job in the field she studied but sadly laid off later from her job. She went to an interview for another job and the woman told her she was perfect for the job, almost overqualified, but she didn’t have a 4-year degree. This does show that to some companies, a degree is important. For others, it may not be but I personally do not understand why. I do agree that colleges provide information that isn’t necessary for your major, such as those general credits. I think colleges should only focus on the classes you need to fulfill the degree for the career you want. I also do believe that colleges enjoy making money. I don’t understand why they need to be so expensive when you know there will be thousands of students attending your college. This sometimes hurts the chances for students to come if they don’t have the money and cannot get loans or scholarships. College is a tricky situation sometimes. You can either take the time and money to go and learn and hope you get a job, or just get a job out of high school and decide later when and if you have the money to go back.


Plan B: Skip College
I didn’t like this article as much as I liked the previous 2, but I didn’t mind it. I don’t know much about vocational schools, but I know they don’t offer education as a major. I personally think that if you know in high school what career you would like and it is offered at a vocational school, you should go. I feel that they do a more “hands on” learning at these schools, maybe even a better experience than some colleges. I think it is a given piece of knowledge that people with a degree earn more and are less likely to receive unemployment than those without a degree. I think the professor at the end had the right idea by saying that teachers should start to help them out. Then if they want more, they certainly can continue on.


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